Media release – National

Eight days until the latest snapshot of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia revealed

13 June 2012 | CO/53

In just over a week from today, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) will release the first results of the 2011 Census of Population and Housing, including the latest picture of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

Long since the four wheel drives carrying Census teams and forms left remote communities and Collectors left the suburbs, the ABS has been hard at work turning Census forms and eCensus submissions into the data that will shape our nation’s future over the next five years.

“Thousands of people from communities all over Australia gave their time and effort to help us run the Census because they knew how important this data was for their people,” Mr Henderson said.

“On Thursday, 21 June, we will be giving this data back to the people, confident that it will help with the planning of vital services and facilities, like schools, health centres, housing and other community needs,” he said.

Mr Henderson said the data will be used by local councils, health and community organisations, service providers, and all levels of government to form policy and plan infrastructure.

“Census data is an invaluable tool used in many different ways by many different people,” Mr Henderson said.

“As part of our commitment to returning Census information to communities across Australia, we will continue to work closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations and government agencies to ensure they can access and use the data to suit their needs.

“I’m constantly hearing about new and innovative ways Census data is used, demonstrating the significant impact the Census has on our lives,” he added.

Data from the 2011 Census of Population and Housing will be available on the ABS website from 21 June 2012. Topics include age, income, housing, education and ancestry will be available.